Obvious
by Rina-the-Brave
Summary: COMPLETE! 14 little stories all inspired by a Tokio Hotel lyric. Chapter14 "Such a stubborn woman." Lisbon let out sigh when his hand started to softly caress the side of her neck affectionately. "You shouldn't wait on me." "I want to."
1. Scream

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Mentalist or any of the songs I might use in this one. All I own is my imagination. :)**

**A/N: Okay so I have this _dedication _to Tokio Hotel. It's not an obsession I swear! If you don't know who they are I suggest listening to a couple of their songs. I really like them, but I also understand that different people have different tastes in music. Anyway. This is basically a bunch of stories deriving from the lyrics of songs off the album _'Scream'. _If enough people like a certain chapter I may use it to start a story. Enjoy.**

_Promising everything you never asked for,  
__And one day It'll be too late,  
__And you'll beg for more.__  
--Scream by Tokio Hotel_

Patrick Jane found himself waiting in the small drab room, painted solid white and filled with uncomfortable chairs. Hospitals were not his thing, and yet here he was waiting for some news, any news. Thinking back on the events of the day, he let his mind recall the way her eyes lit up that morning when he brought her coffee. It had become his way of apologizing for any damage he might do during the day and although most of the time she'd still be angry at him, he still brought her in a cup each morning. Sometimes he'd left it on her desk so it would be there when she walked in like the first time he had done it. Their little moments, the banter and bickering, all of it. Was it gone? He didn't want his mind to go there, but it did anyway.

It just wasn't fair. He'd lost his wife and daughter. Now they wanted to take Teresa Lisbon from him too? Would he ever get to have one phase of his life that didn't lead to regret and anger? People had told him, promised him, that he'd find happiness again but he never believed them. They were promising things he didn't want -- at least he didn't think he wanted it at the time. Now sitting alone in the crowded room he realized maybe he did want it. Was it too late?

"Any news?" Jane looked up from his sitting position to see Cho, Van Pelt and Rigsby staring down at him. Had they been there the whole time? He could've sworn he sent them all home hours ago or maybe it had only been minutes.

"Nothing. I thought I sent all of you home."

"You think we're going to just leave when our Boss, our friend is in surgery?" The unmistakable smooth even voice of Cho never wavered and for a few minutes Jane sat silently. Grace made herself comfortable in a chair to his left and never protested as Rigsby accompanied her and cautiously slipped his hand into hers. If the situation had been different Jane might've smiled and made a teasing comment, but guilt was coursing through his veins. No matter how hard he tried he just couldn't hide the worry and guilt.

"This is my fault." Grace laid a comforting hand on his arm but couldn't seem to find the words to make it any better. They all knew that it was indeed his fault and no matter what they said it wouldn't help. Everyone knew how well Patrick Jane could hold onto guilt and anger. Sitting in silence didn't make the time go any faster. If anything it only seemed to crawl making every minute feel like an hour but finally the doctor came out to update them. As they stood to hear the news, all Jane wanted to do was scream or beg if he needed to. She had to be alright. He needed more time with her, it wasn't like he had asked to fall in love again. It had just happened and she didn't even know.

"I'm Dr. Graham. Teresa Lisbon is one lucky woman. The bullet missed all the major organs. Minimum damage was done. She'll need to take it easy for a while but she will make a full recovery. Anesthetic should be wearing off any time, but I ask that we keep visitation at one person at a time." The man was older, grey headed and tall. Lean but not overly so. Jane came to the conclusion that he liked him, probably only based on what he just said.

"We can see her?" The doctor nodded at the young red headed woman who had asked the question.

Everyone's gaze fell on Jane, they all knew he wanted to see her the most and silently agreed to let him. As if on autopilot he followed the man in the white coat down the hallway and into recovery.

The sight of Lisbon's small body occupying a hospital bed was not something he was used to. No he was used to the spitfire that never backed down from a challenge with sparkling green eyes. Instead he got a pale lifeless form that looked like her. Walking over to the bed he debated with himself whether it would be okay to hold her hand. They were friends and that's something that friends would do right? He let his fingers brush the back of her hand softly before finally wrapping his fingers around her small fragile looking hand.

"I'm sorry." His own voice shocked him. It was soft, barely a sound at all. "I'm so sorry." The movement of muscles in her face followed by the fluttering of her eyes brought back the reality of the situation. She was alive and in the process of waking up.

"Mmm. Jane..." Brushing her hair back from her face, he felt an overwhelming sense of relief and worry.

"Are you in any pain?"

"I was shot in the stomach. I'm going to hurt." He gave her some credit for trying to smile. The way her lips turned up was adorable but it quickly turned into a wince when she tried to adjust her position on the bed.

"This was my fault Lisbon. I'm so..."

"Don't say you're sorry. I knew what I was doing when I jumped in front of you." The sparkle in her eyes was gone. It had been replaced by the pain etched into her features. He should be the one lying there, not his Lisbon.

"That bullet was meant for me. All because I pissed off the wrong person. I'm sorry."

"You never listen to a word I say. Don't beat yourself up." Every fiber in his being was telling him to man up and just tell her what he was feeling. He felt her tug at his hand pulling him closer and leaned over her until his face was only inches from hers.

"I can't lose you." The warm puff of air that she exhaled against his lips only made his need intensify. He expected to see confusion in her eyes or maybe even a little anger but the only thing staring back at him was warmth and compassion.

"I'm still right here." Her free hand made it's way up to caress his cheek, making him lean in those last couple inches and seal his mouth to hers. In this moment it was only them that mattered. Something inside of him made it feel like he could explode at any second -- something that made him feel. Something that made him believe. It was love and as she responded to his kiss by moving her lips against his sweetly he realized that the urge to scream was gone.

**A/N: There's the first installment. The next one should be up shortly and I promise to update my other stories soon too. ~ Rina :)**


	2. Ready, Set, Go!

**Disclaimer: No infringement intended. I don't own anything. All I own is my imagination. :)**

**A/N: Here's the next little story I hope you like it as much as you all enjoyed the first one. **

_Leave it all behind you now,  
The final wall is breaking down,  
We are what it's all about,  
Nothing can stop us now,_

_I promise you right now,  
I'll never let you down.  
-- Ready, Set, Go! by Tokio Hotel_

There were people in this world who had dangerous and gruesome jobs. The bright sunny day was only there to deceive. Nothing about their work was ever pleasant and yet they continued anyway. Never once looking back to see what they could have done instead. Teresa Lisbon was one of these people. Her job as a CBI Agent was her life and honestly she couldn't think of any other way she'd rather spend it. Yes it was a hard job, but it also helped put away some of the evil of the world.

Patrick Jane had been subject to some of this evil, and she felt sorry for him. Maybe she shouldn't -- after all she never liked it when people felt sorry for her -- but she did nonetheless. He had lost a family and she knew what that was like. Granted the family she lost wasn't the same kind, but she had a feeling it hurt the same. It wasn't always easy working with the consultant. He was arrogant and stubborn, which is never a good combination but she liked him anyway. Out of all the men in the world, she just had to develop feelings for this one.

In her own sad attempt to keep him at arms length, she built up walls. Hoping and praying he wouldn't break through, but she should've realized that he would. He was Patrick Jane. Breaking through defenses was his forte.

Today had been hard on her whole team, but it hit her and Jane the hardest. The quietness was welcomed at first after she sent the team home. Until her thoughts caught up to her and then the only escape she had was to rest her head against the desk and close her eyes. The drifting memories of the past week raced through her mind but the tiredness won. Sleep came rather easily after the hours she'd stayed up the night before.

"Lisbon?" The sound of her name and the touch of a hand to the side of her face made her jolt awake in shock. Slapping away his fingers she sat up and stared at him for a few seconds trying to clear her head. How long had she been asleep?

"Jesus Jane. Would you knock first?"

"It's late. You should go home." There was something in the way he was standing so close to her desk that made her subconsciously lean towards him.

"Mm. So should you."

"I'll leave when you do." The gravitational pull grew stronger the more they bantered but something was different this time. He wasn't being his usual cheery self, and his smile seemed forced. The light in her office had been dimmed and only seemed to make him glow like some kind of angel. Ironic she thought, an angel sent to save her in the form of Jane.

"We both know that's not true."

"Okay then how about we keep each other company?" Lisbon's thoughts scattered a thousand different directions at his suggestion and none of them were very appropriate. How she would love his company for a night. Maybe then loneliness wouldn't get the best of her.

"I might regret this, but do you want to test out my couch?" She could feel her cheeks burning, and tried to control herself. It was of no use when he took the opportunity to lean closer and place his hands on the desk.

"You're blushing."

"Shut up. Do you want the couch or not?" She would never understand his need to constantly point out whenever she became embarrassed about something. His smile was back unforced this time. Easy and bright, lighting up his handsome features and making the butterflies in her stomach flap around like bats.

"No, but thank you. I'd rather have the bed." That didn't help her blushing problem at all, she felt her cheeks burn brighter. Patrick Jane in her bed, sleeping with her. Not sleeping. Clothed. Not clothed. It was a brain overload of hot and steamy images.

"I'm not sleeping on my own couch so you can..."

"I never said you had to sleep on the couch." The sharp intake of breath was the only sound in the room, and it bothered her that he could do this to her. It wasn't fair. There he was smiling, barely three inches from her face and here she was turning to a puddle of mush on the inside.

"I'm not sharing a bed with you."

"Why not? You don't trust yourself?" His eyes sparkled in the dim light, but she could see he was hiding his emotions from the last case. She didn't blame him. It involved a little girl about the age Jane's daughter had been when she was killed making him distant through the entire case.

"I don't trust you." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. She had meant them to be teasing, but that wasn't the way it sounded. The sparkle fell from his face and was replaced by uncertainty.

"I know I don't always give you reason to trust me, but I promise you can count on me." She didn't know how they went from teasing to such a serious topic. They'd had this particular conversation before. She trusted him too much, that was her problem. It didn't make any sense but she trusted him too much to trust him.

"Jane I was just..." The redness in her cheeks had died, and she wanted to let him know that she had just been teasing but his soft voice cut her off.

"I need someone right now Teresa, a friend. Someone to talk to and I want that to be you." The look in his eyes told her he wasn't joking around and just like that the final wall she had built around her heart crumbled into a pile of rubble. Leaving her emotions exposed and vulnerable for the first time in years.

"Okay, but you're sleeping on the couch."

"We'll see about that." In that moment she knew that together they'd make it just fine. Nothing would stop them now.

**a/n: Was it good for you? ;) ~ Rina**


	3. Monsoon

**Disclaimer: Surprisingly enough...I still own nothing. Odd huh?**

**A/N: Thank you so much to all of you who reviewed. I will try to get back to every single one of you, but if I don't my apologies. Just know how much I appreciate it. :)**

_Let it take me straight to you,  
I'll be running night and day,__  
I'll be with you soon, just me and you,  
We'll be there soon, so soon....  
--- Monsoon by Tokio Hotel_

The rain pounded against the pavement, making everything in front of her face seem blurry. The thunder crashed while lightening continued to wickedly streak across the night sky. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, but here she was taking a rain walk in the middle of a storm. There was something about being soaked to the bone and freezing that made her feel alive. That feeling had been drowned out lately, and then it had happened. The dam that kept her emotions at bay cracked, just a small leak at first but Patrick Jane had come in with a bulldozer and plowed the rest of it down.

Each step she took in the direction of the unknown, only served to make her want to run into the dark night. Every year there was one day that she just wished she could sleep through. There were two days she absolutely hated, but this one was the worst and she just wanted to forget it existed.

_*Flashback to earlier that day*_

_"There's a storm coming." Teresa Lisbon looked up from her paperwork to see Jane standing in the doorway smiling from ear to ear._

_"What?"_

_"You love thunderstorms. You like to go for walks in them. It gives you a sense of strength." She hadn't invited him in, but he came closer to her desk anyway. It wasn't like if she told him to go away he'd actually listen._

_"How do you know that?"_

_"Awe come on Lisbon, you know I never tell." The sparkle in his eyes always managed to make her heart skip a beat and her stomach tighten. She didn't want to be attracted to him. That would be just asking for trouble and yet she found that not wanting it only made her want it even more._

_"Jane, I'm really not in the mood for your tricks."_

_"No tricks, just an observation." Closing her eyes she let out a ragged sigh. Why? Couldn't he leave it alone for just this day. This horrible day that always reminded her of one of the worst times in her life._

_"Then I'm not in the mood for your observations. Just for today please leave me alone." Her voice faltered towards the end of her sentence making her sound like a scared little kid. Great something else for him to tease her about, but to her surprise he didn't. His eyes filled with concern instead._

_"What's wrong?"_

_"You seem to know all about my personal life so you tell me." She was being snippy on purpose hoping he'd decide that she was too cranky, but honestly she kind of wanted to stay. _

_"Interesting that you assume I know everything about you when in fact I don't. You keep yourself pretty well hidden, but I'll play along. First I'd like to point out that you told me to leave you alone only to turn around and give me permission to bother you once again seconds later. You're conflicted about something involving me. Which is why you want me to leave and stay at the same time but that's not all that's bothering you is it?"_

_"Self obsessed much Jane? It's not about you, okay, it's not. Now will you leave?"_

_"Alright I'll leave you here to wallow in denial. Feel free to come see me when you're done." Damn him for being such a prying, nosy man. Bless him for the same reasons._

_*End*_

The cold chill only served as a reminder that he had been right, as usual but she hadn't went to talk with him later. She had walked out and has been walking ever since. The street signs began to blur together a long time ago, and honestly she's not entirely sure where she is. Taking her phone out of her soaked pocket, hoping it isn't water logged, she decides to call the one person who she trusts despite her best efforts not to. Maybe having someone to talk to would be better than wallowing alone. Three rings and nothing, only the voicemail answered her call.

"Jane, I uh I just thought maybe...I don't know. I'm sorry just delete this and forget I called." Sometime during the walk or maybe it was during the realization that Patrick Jane made her feel safe, tears had started to fall. She hadn't cried in a long time, she never let herself show that kind of weakness. It felt good to finally let it out.

"Sorry I didn't answer. I left my phone in my car." The voice made her jump and turn to see the man occupying half of her thoughts standing there just as soaked as she was.

"Were you following me?" Part of her was glad that someone cared enough to follow her out into a thunderstorm, the other part wasn't so pleased that he saw her like that.

"Yes, and you must be pretty out of it. You didn't notice." He offered her a weak smile as she wiped at her face. Between the tears and rain it was probably pointless.

"If you're going to tease me then you can leave Jane I'm not..." The feel of his hand against her arm shut her up. She didn't know what to say, and he felt so warm despite the cold rain covering him.

"You're upset. I won't tease someone about that." Dropping her gaze from his she pretended to find something interesting on her shoes and he didn't try to stop her or call her on it. Maybe her instincts to call him were right. Maybe he could be there as a friend.

"Today isn't a good day for me okay I just..."

"Your mother." The way he said it in hushed tones made her head snap back up. Noticing the way she was shivering he brought his other hand up, and started to rub gently up and down her arms. A little friction should bring some heat.

"Wha...how did you...nevermind."

"You're going to get sick out here." Lisbon didn't know if she should pull away from him or just enjoy the feel of his hands, and luckily he didn't give her a choice before he tugged her forward to hug her to his chest. She knew she probably should jerk back or push him away, but it just felt too good. He was warm.

"So are you."

"I don't get sick. Let's get you home, my car is around the corner." Alarm bells started going off the minute he stepped back and took her by the arm to lead her to the safe, warm, dry, heated car. Except instead of these bells telling her to stay away from him, they were saying the complete opposite.

"Wait...I need to thank you for following me. For making sure I was okay." She didn't know if he would be okay with what she was about to do, but hopefully it wouldn't upset him. Taking a deep breath she stretched up on her tip toes, pressed her lips to his, and pulled back quickly to see his reaction.

"Teresa, I'm not the best guy to get involved with." The emotion in his eyes made her breath hitch in her throat. It wasn't everyday Patrick Jane let his defenses down.

"Is that your nice way of saying you aren't interested?"

"No." Before she could reply his mouth was on hers making her forget everything, the rain, the thunder, the lightening, the pain. His hands tangled in her wet hair tugging her closer, as her own found the lapels of his jacket. The first kiss had been soft sweet and quick, this one was passionate, hungry, demanding, and definitely not quick. Nipping at his bottom lip earned a moan from both of them. "Stop...we need to get you home." Even though he was saying they needed to go, his mouth was betraying him by continuing to press soft kisses to her lips between each word he spoke.

Lisbon couldn't get her brain to work, the onlys thing that seemed to register were his hands, his lips, his warmth. An involuntary shiver ran through her body and this time it had nothing to do with the cold. A shy smile turned up the corners of her mouth when he finally pulled away enough to see her face.

"Take me home before I freeze and I'll make you some tea." It was an offer Lisbon knew Jane wouldn't refuse.

**a/n: The third little story. Who else liked it besides me? I'm a little biased. ~Rina (I'm updating my other stories tonight sometime so be sure to keep an eye out)**


	4. Love Is Dead

**Disclaimer: I don't own squat. Nothing. :) No infringement was intended. Honest.**

**A/N: I'm so glad that everybody really seems to like these little stories. I wasn't sure when I first started but I'm really glad you guys do. Thanks for reading and reviewing. I know most of these are deep and kind of angsty yet still happy but that's because that's kind of the way the entire 'Scream' album is. It's really heavy stuff. I love it. I will write funny fluffy stuff in one of my newer stories that I haven't posted yet. **

**Some sexual references in this one, but absolutely nothing that deserves a rating boost. Lets just say if this was a movie it'd be PG-13. :)**

_Vultures are waiting for what's left of us,  
takin' the last of you,  
and the last of me  
__--- Love Is Dead by Tokio Hotel_

Patrick Jane was the type of man to mask his pain and anger with sarcastic and witty remarks. He hid behind a smile and his mentalist abilities because that's all he knew how to do. There were days he allowed himself a small pity party but most days he spent his time helping to put away murderers. Most people would probably be proud if they done something like that, but honestly it irked him. Yes he was glad they were behind bars and wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else but he also felt that he was failing his own family. Why could he find out who killed the old cat lady down the street but couldn't find Red John? Was it another form of punishment for everything he had done?

It also bothered him that he found himself having feelings, actual feelings, for someone other than his wife. He knew Lisbon returned his feelings, he could see it every time they were in the same room. It didn't help matters that a few months ago he had decided they could form a casual sex relationship. Yes it was him who made the move by cornering her in her office late one night. She had pushed him away saying that he wasn't ready and he agreed. When he kissed her again she tried to fight it but couldn't find the strength to do so. Now three months later he didn't think just sex was enough anymore. It started as a way to forget the pain for a night every once in a great while then it became at least twice a week and he knew it was hurting her. She was thinking he didn't care for her the way she did him, and in the beginning that was probably true. He felt guilty after every time they met at her place and he slipped out of bed after she fell asleep. He had used her to satisfy his own dark and desperate need to erase his memories. In the end it never worked he always felt worse for two reasons: one, he was using his best friend who was in love with him and two, his wife and daughter were still gone. It was still his fault.

He wasn't sure when it started becomming more than just sex maybe it always was and he just didn't realize it, but he knew it had never been _just _anything for her. It was wrong of him to take advantage of her emotions and use them like he had been. At work they acted as if nothing was going on between them and everyone seemed to buy it. Sometimes he even bought it but the hurt was always still lingering in her gaze. He hated himself for that.

Last night was different except she didn't know it yet. There was no way she hadn't noticed a certain change though. He had taken his time to explore her body like a hidden temple, being as passionate and gentle as possible. It killed him not to tell her right then that he was in love with her too, but he vowed to wait just a few more hours. She'd never said those three words to him but he could see it. No matter how hard Teresa Lisbon tried to hide her true feelings it would never work. Jane was sure the only reason she hadn't put a stop to their bedroom meetings was because she needed some comfort too and deep down she thought that if this was the only way she could be with the man she loved then she'd have to live with that. He was a complete jackass for making her feel and think like that.

Propped up on one arm, he was watching her sleep peacefully curled into a ball, facing him. Lisbon was a smart woman, there was no denying that. He noticed that she always tried to stay awake later and later each time he came over. It was her way of keeping him there and it made it harder and harder for him to leave. This time he had stayed and remained awake all night to so he could watch her. Never once letting himself have the pleasure of touching her soft smooth skin, out of fear of waking her and giving away his position.

As soon as the first rays of sun highlighted the horizon he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his chest. There was no way he could wait any longer. How he made it this long was still a mystery. Gently brushing her hair back out of her face, he leaned in and pressed his lips to her temple. She moaned softly and shifted closer to his body before her eyes flickered open in confusion.

"You stayed." The morning light coming from the window illuminated her features, drawing his attention to her glowing skin and beautiful eyes.

"I have something important to say." He tried to keep his voice calm and apparently his straight face frightened her into thinking the worst.

"You can't do this anymore can you?" Technically that was true. He couldn't do no strings attached with her anymore. He wanted the strings and everything that they brought with them. Jane could tell she wanted to roll away from him but his eyes held her trapped.

"No I can't. Casual sex was something I never should have suggested. It only hurt you and made me hate myself even more for that." His hand found her bare hip under the blanket and started to stroke up to her rib cage and back down again.

"I could've pushed you away but I didn't Jane. I'm just as responsible for this."

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry for being so selfish."

"Wasn't I the selfish one? I let you keep coming over just because I..." He hated the tears that formed in the corner of her eyes as she closed them tightly. He wanted her to be happy not sad.

"I love you Teresa. I stayed to tell you we can't have casual sex anymore because this is anything but casual for me." His lips found her cheek, her forehead, her nose and finally came to rest on her quivering mouth. It wasn't everyday that Patrick Jane admitted something like that since he thought he'd never love again after costing his family their lives. It had crept up on him though, not giving him a choice. Feeling dead everyday was easy until she found her way into his heart. She made him feel alive again.

**a/n: The fourth installment. This scenario just wouldn't leave my head. I am actually working on a story now (not posted yet) that based on something like this. Let me know if you're interested in reading it. It's basically going to be based from the pilot to the finale on how they have a friends with benefits relationship even though they secretly both want more. Okay I promise to update my others either today or tomorrow. I have to get to it, since I have new ideas for a story ;) ~ Rina**


	5. Don't Jump

**Disclaimer: Let me go check my investments....hmm nope not owning it. **

**A/N: First off I just want to thank everyone who reads this. And I would also like to say that this song is one of my all time favorites. It's a great song. Just so everyone knows I type these out exactly as they are in the lyric booklet. If you know this song you'll see how perfectly it would fit as background music to this one. :) Don't Jump by Tokio Hotel.**

_  
I say your name in silence  
You don't want  
To hear it right now  
The eyes of the city  
Are counting the tears  
Falling down  
Each one a promise  
Of everything  
You never found,  
-- Don't Jump by Tokio Hotel_

It was late, the dim light coming from her office lamp the only thing illuminating her work space. Putting her pen down, Lisbon listened intently but heard nothing. She could've sworn Jane was still here but if so then he was being uncharacteristically quiet. Most of the time when they both stayed late into the night he'd come into her office to keep her company and most of the time she complained but secretly enjoyed spending the extra hours with him. Leaving her desk she wandered out into the bullpen to find it and Jane's couch completely empty. A clock on the wall read twelve twenty-three letting her know she had stayed way later than she had planned.

"Jane? Are you still here?" There was no response but she decided to look around anyway. The small kitchen area revealed what she already suspected, no Jane. Interrogation rooms were empty as well but as she closed the door something caught her eye. The stairwell exit was open, it was never open. Nobody ever used it. More curious than ever she made her way over to the stairs and poked her head inside. "Jane?"

This time a noise from above was her answer. An echo of what sounded like footsteps coming from the roof. Nothing that told her it was him but she knew without a doubt that it was. Taking the steps as fast as her legs could carry her she made it to door marked 'Roof Access', she found that it too was open. Was he expecting her to follow him? A small barely audible gasp fell from her lips when she saw him sitting on the ledge with his legs dangled over. Why did he always have to find the most dangerous situation and put himself in it?

She wanted to say his name but knew if he was startled he'd probably fall. Stepping quietly she noticed the way his shoulders gently shook, making her cease movement. All of a sudden she felt like she had just invaded a very private moment. It wasn't right for her to be here, so she stepped back into the shadows. Only his back was visible to her and she longed to run to him and wipe away the tears. She wasn't used to seeing him like this. Lost in her thoughts she didn't notice the way he wiped at his face, let out a ragged sigh and continued to watch the skyline.

"You can come over here, you're not interrupting anything special Lisbon. I'm not planning on jumping." Of course he knew she was lurking there, this was Jane. He didn't need to see her to know that she was behind him.

"I'm sorry, I just wondered where you went." Guilt coursed through her veins as she stepped up next to him and carefully sat down. His hand reached out to steady her when she overcompensated and lost her balance. The warmth of his skin against her arm sent chills down her spine.

"You won't fall. Just be calm." Lisbon wasn't really scared of heights but something about being on the very edge of a building just got to her. It was like one gust of wind and she'd be gone, and just to spite her the wind was blowing steadily tonight. His touch did calm her racing heart some, before she remembered that only seconds ago he'd been crying.

"Are you okay?" There was only one thing that could make him so upset. His family. She hated asking something so stupid at a time like this but what else was she supposed to do? He just nodded an affirmation which only concerned her even more. She didn't know what to do to make it better or what to say to make him feel like he wasn't alone. Staring at him in silence for more than five minutes didn't help either of them, except she felt special knowing that he hadn't told her to go away. No he had done the opposite he'd asked her to join him well sort of.

"You sitting here with me is helping enough." How did he always know to answer questions that she never actually asked? The breeze blew her hair back as she silently debated whether or not to touch him.

"I'm really sorry. I still feel like I'm invading something private." Turning to face him she straddled the ledge, curling one leg under her while the other still hung over the side of the building. The breeze was rather cool despite the hot temperatures during the day, causing goose bumps on her arms.

"Today is my daughter's birthday. There now you're not invading." Despite the way he attempted a smile she could still see the pain in his eyes. He wasn't even trying to hide it. Patrick Jane knew how to get to her, how to push her buttons, and now she realized that he also knew how to tug at her heart strings. The pang she felt in her chest at his greif spoken words proved that whether she wanted to admit it or not, she was falling for him.

"I.." He hushed her with a touch of his hand to her cheek that left her face glowing a rosy pink.

"Shh. Just listen okay?" She didn't know why his voice had dropped to a whisper but nodded nonetheless, knowing that if he wanted to talk then she needed to let him. "I don't like sharing feelings, I hate it. That's something we have in common but I want you to know that I trust you. More than I trust anybody else. I love my family and I miss them so much. Everyday I wake up knowing they died because of me, because I was stupid and selfish. I spend every minute wishing I would've done things differently. I have to try and make things right, that's why I push so hard on Red John cases. I know you know that, and I know you understand but...there's something that's been bothering me lately." Lisbon knew she promised to stay quiet but she wanted to know what he about to say and his silence was unnerving.

"What is it Jane?"

"You. Just you." His voice was barely even a whisper now and she almost didn't even hear what he had said over the wind.

"Me? I bother you?" She couldn't have hidden the hurt in her voice even if she tried.

"Yes. I've started second guessing my actions because of you. I'm up here remembering everything I've lost and then you came to find me. To remind me of what I've also gained because you worry about me. You care. I thought that was gone. It was for a long time and I learned to live without it but its nice to have that feeling back."

"We all care about you."

"Yes but you, Teresa, have me conflicted. See I'm having these thoughts that leave me torn. Part of me wants to see what happens and part of me feels like it would be a betrayal."

"I don't understand." She hadn't understood anything he had said since admitting that she bothered him. A small sad smile graced his handsome features as his hand found her cheek again. The moon was casting an eerie glow over them making everything seem silver and before she could even open her mouth to say it was getting late and they should head back in, his lips were on hers. The feeling was something she wasn't prepared for. She definitely didn't imagine this happening when she started searching for him. The kiss was soft and sweet and despite the way her brain was screaming at her not to, she kissed him back. One of her hands found his curls as the other gripped his shirt tugging him closer. A soft whimper left her throat when he pulled back unexpectedly.

"I wasn't going to jump."

"I know that." Lisbon watched him carefully stand up and offer her a hand, which she took without protesting. As they walked back down the stairs hand in hand she knew that in the end they'd both be okay. Whether what happened on the roof ever happened again or not.

**a/n; Okay so this one was so much fun to write. I like going into that angsty heavy romantic stuff. It leads to great stories. ~ Rina**


	6. Live Every Second

**Disclaimer: Pssh, I only freaking wish I could own something this awesome. So yeah that's a big fat NO on owning it. (Don't sue me for infringement because I have no money)**

**A/N: Wow, I just want to say I never expected to get so many reviews for these little song inspired one shots. Thank you so much!!!! Oh and also wanted to ask, and yes this will be random: Who else watched The Michael Jackson Memorial? (I bawled like a baby and I ain't afraid to admit it. I just can't handle people giving speeches and getting choked up then I immediately feel so bad for them. Doesn't matter who it is. I have a soft heart.)**

_From today on the days are only half as long,  
Nothing left to laugh about,  
Yesterday is 1million years ago,  
The day before already wiped out  
-- Live Every Second by Tokio Hotel_

Today was a good day. The sun was shining brightly and the air was warm and refreshing. Jane hadn't taken the time to appreciate something so simple in a pretty long while. It wasn't that he didn't notice, it was just that it always seemed to be mocking him so he hated it. Hated that he was here to _enjoy _it while his wife and little girl couldn't. Today was different though, he actually felt like something inside of him was lighter, easier. It had started about a year ago but today it was clear to him that he needed to move forward with his life. He'd never forget the past, and he shouldn't but he needed to have some kind of future. A certain woman was the cause of this and he knew it. He just needed her to see it.

"Lisbon?" Poking his head through her office door he saw her sitting at her desk, resting her head in her hands.

"Yes Jane?" Taking that as an invitation, he quickly filed into the room and closed the door behind him.

"What are you doing tonight?" The question caught her off guard making her raise her head to look up at him. He just kept smiling, waiting for an answer he already knew. She never did anything special after leaving and he knew today wouldn't be any different.

"Going home."

"Not today. We're going to do something together." She looked confused and a little scared at just the idea of spending time with him outside of work. It wasn't that she didn't want to spend time with him it's just that she didn't want to spend time with him. The more she was around him the more she found herself liking his company, no matter how much of a pain in the ass he could be.

"Jane, I just want to go home."

"Come on, just a few hours of your time is all I ask. We're don't even have to leave your office." Being the ever suspicious Lisbon, she couldn't just let him say something like that without getting an explanation. Quirking her eyebrow she thought it over for a few seconds; she could leave now without saying anything or she could find out what he truly wanted.

"_If _I choose to stay then what are we doing?" A smile bloomed over his handsome features making her regret asking.

"We'll play a game." He seemed so pleased with his reply as his smile only seemed to grow. Seriously, she just knew one day his face was going to split from him smiling like that. Groaning and standing up Lisbon tried to make her way towards the door but he stepped in her pathway.

"I'm leaving." His warm hand on hers stopped all movement. This is not what she had planned, no she wanted a soak in the tub with a bottle of beer and lots and lots of chocolate. Damn Jane for interrupting her routine.

"Please stay." It was the tone he used, and those pleading eyes that made her give in with a slight grumble and nod. "Great, I have cards."

"I refuse to participate in any of your mind games." She made her way back to her desk as he pulled up a chair in front of it. Rolling her eyes, mainly just for show, she watched as he pulled a deck from his pocket. Did the man just randomly keep cards with him, or did he plan these things?

"I just wanted to play war, with a few rules." Leaning back in her chair she let her head rest against the back and stared up at the ceiling, silently praying for the strength to keep from kissing or killing this man.

"Oh God, this can't be good." Choosing to ignore her comment Jane proceeded to explain his new rules.

"When I win you have to do whatever I tell you to, and if you win then I have to do whatever you tell me to do." He loved the way she groaned in disgust at the idea but he could tell she honestly wasn't annoyed with him. She was annoyed that she didn't know whether to keep him at arms length or pull him closer. By the end of their game hopefully she had it all figured out because he had come in here with a goal that he planned on reaching.

"Did we somehow travel back to middle school?"

"Funny." Dealing the cards he watched her face the entire time, never once taking his eyes off of her. The game started slowly each of them winning about the same amount of rounds, but as it went on Jane quickly took the lead, managing to score all four aces in his deck. She couldn't help but comment that he had cheated and stacked the deck or something which led to a playful argument over whether he would do that to her or not. She knew the answer to that one.

**MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM**

Two hours had passed and Lisbon was trying, but failing, to contain her laughter. She hadn't had this much fun in a long time, and to think Patrick Jane had been the cause of it. He was winning and she was down to only three cards left. Laying down a three she knew she was in trouble and watched through only one open eye as he placed a seven on the desk. Anticipation was starting to get the best of her as she placed her next card down, smiling slyly. She didn't know if his next one was something higher than a queen but it wasn't likely.

"Ugh!" An ace took her queen by surprise and stole her away. Damn that man and his stupid cards!

"It's only a game Lisbon."

"I still have one card." His amused smile only served to add to the competitiveness she was feeling. He put his card down first letting her see that it was a ten and watched as she frowned and threw her eight at him.

"Don't be bitter."

"Fine, what do you want me to do? I'm not doing it if it isn't appropriate or if I just don't want to." Leaning forward on his elbows he motioned for her to lean closer, and silently cheered when she mimicked his position.

"I want you to live every second. Never take anything for granted. You're a beautiful woman who should enjoy life and yet I know that when you leave here, you head straight home to a hot bath and some beer. That's not living Lisbon. Once in a while its nice, but you should be out enjoying yourself also. Looking back on my life I realize there were so many times I could have taken my wife out to dinner or a movie but I opted to stay in the den to work on things instead." He kept his voice soft and his face serious. He didn't want her thinking this was some kind of a joke when it really wasn't.

"I usually have chocolate too and you don't live either." Her quip caught him off guard and a small smirk teased his lips. She definitely was something else.

"Touche. Help me and I'll help you?" Lisbon wanted to say no but the look in his eyes was just begging her to give in. She couldn't deny him anything when he was using his emotions instead of his charm.

"Deal. You know I was expecting you to tell me I had to streak through the CBI building or something along those lines." She had dreaded losing simply for the fact of being at his mercy, sure she could just kick him out but whatever it was that he'd want from her would still linger between them. Whether it was walking nude around her office or saying something embarrassing in front of the team.

"Actually what I just told you was not my original idea. That one just came to me when I saw you enjoying the simple game of war so much." A puzzled look replaced her smile as she watched his expression with wide eyes.

"Then what were you intending on telling me to do?"

"To kiss me." Silence settled between the two as they stared at each other. Lisbon was completely shocked by his admission, and wasn't sure if she should really believe him but he showed no signs of joking. Sucking in a sharp breath of air, she stood from her chair, leaned over the desk and closed the distance that had been between them. His lips were soft and warm against her own. Pliant yet demanding while maintaining an uncertainty that seeped through his entire body. When she opened her mouth to let her tongue gently caress his lips, all bets were off. He pulled away from her causing her to think she'd done something wrong. He stood up abruptly and took a step away from his chair.

"I'm sorry, I..." Before she could finish her sentence, his hands were tugging at her hips to pull her closer as he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

"Would you like some company for a little while tonight instead of just chocolate and beer?" Both of them smiled at the thought of spending a little more time together and who knew maybe she'd lend him her couch for the night.

"I wouldn't be opposed to the idea. As long as its good company who can appreciate a good black and white movie with me." Lisbon couldn't get her heart to stop pounding against her chest, she was sure it was about to bust right out and cause a scene.

"You've got a date, and yes Lisbon I'm considering this a date." From now on, as his lips sought hers once again, they were both going to start living, through one another.

**a/n; This one is a little different than the rest in case you didn't notice, but its a semi happier song. oh and another thing I really suggest you read my new story Take Away, but only if you like smutty stuff. It's M rated so fair warning but it is so good. I'm loving it more than anything I've done so far. So again New story called Take Away. Be sure to let me know what you think ;) ~ Rina**


	7. On the Edge

**Disclaimer: Don't own any of it.**

**A/N: Well folks we're at the half way mark. Only 7 more to go and then I'll be done. :). Oh and I'm making Chapter 3: Monsoon into a multi chapter fic, probably only 3 to 4 chapters long. I hope you'll all read it and let me know if its any good. Plus I'll be working on some new stories like Take Away. That will be my main one for now, since it's going to have over 20 chapters. Sadly though, since I'm going with the episode theme it'll only be updated once a week. Besides that I'll post mainly little stuff. One shots or 3 shots. Thank you thank you to everyone who reviewed. I know I've been behind on replying but college is coming up again soon so I've been really busy with that. ENJOY! **

_Do you want to see yourself  
Flyin' through the night  
This gift is what you need  
You're gonna be alright  
Eyes close  
And Fall,  
-- On the Edge by Tokio Hotel_

There was no guarantee when you entered this life that it would be a good one but occasionally you got lucky enough to find someone who could make all the bad things seem a little less horrible. Teresa Lisbon had found that person. The only downside was that he wasn't the type of man she could get involved with. He was broken and angry, but it only made her want him even more. She wanted to help lessen the pain he still felt every single day. She wanted him to be happy instead of so set on revenge.

She had always heard the saying 'Good things happen to good people' but that wasn't always the case. Her job proved that every single day. Her life, Jane's life, they were both symbols that proved that bad things happened to good people too. Patrick Jane was a good man, despite that he had lied numerous times and always ended up in trouble he genuinely had a good heart. He had been a fake psychic, a fraud who took peoples' money but at the same time in an odd kind of way he'd helped them. Sometimes even faking something was enough to make someone feel better and other times it pissed off the wrong person. It was wrong of him to blame himself for his family's deaths, yes it had been the words he said that made Red John angry enough to kill them but it's not like he knew it was going to happen. Then again who was she to judge, she blamed herself for a lot of things that probably weren't her fault either. It was the way of the world. It always kept you on the edge, barely hanging on and praying that you were strong enough to last just one more day.

Lisbon knew she had messed up when she realized that any time he was upset it made her sad too. When he was angry, so was she. Whenever he wanted to do something stupid, she stuck up for him even when it led to being grilled by Minelli. Their relationship hadn't always been this way, and as soon as it started to turn she knew she was in trouble. There wasn't anything she could do to stop it though, and to be honest she hadn't even tried.

Today had been hard on the team, not necessarily on Lisbon, or Jane. No, this time it was Van Pelt who took the emotional blows while Rigsby tried his best to be the friend who she could turn to. Except she was just like Lisbon, just like Jane, she wouldn't open up. Lisbon supposed it was kind of ironic that her entire team consisted of a group of people who were better at keeping their emotions bottled up than sharing them with anyone. It had nothing to do with trust and everything to do with privacy. Some things were private and yet one man never seemed to understand that. Jane had pushed until Grace eventually broke, and then he'd felt horrible about it. Lisbon had said some things to him that she wasn't proud of, some things that he didn't need to hear. Things she hadn't meant to say, but they had just come out without any kind of warning. If he never talked to her again she wouldn't blame him. Hurting him, was not what she had wanted to do.

**LisbonJaneLisbonJaneLisbonJaneLisbon**

Dragging out a long sigh she dipped herself down into the tub of hot water just as a knock at the door interrupted her over bearing thoughts. This is not what she needed right now. The hot luxurious bath water was too relaxing. Groaning out her disapproval at being disturbed she got back out and wrapped a towel around her body. A shiver ran down her spine as she walked through her living room, still dripping wet. Yanking the door open with a force she hadn't known she was capable of after such an exhausting day she barked out a "What the hell do you want?" Not even caring who was on the other side of the wooden panel.

"Is that how you greet all your guests?" The curly haired consultant stood in front of her with a half smirk on his face, while he let his eyes roam over her towel clad form.

"Only the annoying ones." Lisbon could feel the blush in her cheeks at the attention he was giving her. It wasn't everyday he got to see her this naked and it wasn't everyday he looked at her like that either.

"Nice outfit." The smirk only grew with the teasing statement making her clutch the towel tighter around herself, hoping he'd just get the hint that she had been in the middle of something and leave.

"Shut up. What do you want?"

"To talk." Wordlessly she opened the door enough that he could come inside. His eyes were so sad and she couldn't turn him away when he was looking at her like that. A small smile graced his features as he stepped through the open doorway. The gasp that fell from her lips when his hand accidentally brushed her bare thigh was completely involuntary but both of them heard it loud and clear.

"I'm just gonna put some clothes on. I'll be back in a minute." His hand caught hers before she could even take one small step.

"Don't leave me alone too. I'm so tired of being alone Lisbon." They both knew he wasn't talking about her merely going to put clothes on. He meant something entirely different. There was something in the way his voice wavered that made her want to hold him close and never let him go.

"Jane." She intended his name to come out as a warning but it had come off as a plea instead, begging him to forgive her for earlier today. He understood and nodded once before his pleading eyes wandered down her face to her mouth.

"You had every right to yell at me. I never should have pushed Grace although I believe it did wonders for her relationship with Rigsby."

"I still feel bad Jane. I didn't mean to bring up your past, I know that hurt and I'm sorry. Can I go get dressed now?" An actual smile lit up his face before he shook his head and closed the distance between their bodies by tugging on her hand. Wrapping one arm around her waist he dropped his lips down to hers while she whimpered in shock before giving in to the desire. As they stood in her living room, completely entranced by one another's mouth they both realized that everyone was on the edge in some sort of way whether it was emotionally, financially or something else altogether. All it took was one push and they would fall. The real question was if they had anyone there to catch them. Van Pelt had Rigsby, even if she didn't want to admit it and Jane had Lisbon. Lisbon had Jane. The scars they had would never fade, but the pain would. The memories would always be there to remind them of the past but they had each other to remind them of the future.

**a/n: This song is actually really sad, but I picked the best lyrics out of it and kind of twisted it into a happier ending. Trust me though, this song does not have a happy ending so it was really hard to type this one out. ~ Rina. **

**P.S. It's late, so all errors are my own. Too tired to proof read. Point them out kindly and I'll fix them. :)**


	8. Sacred

**Disclaimer: Well they haven't contacted me yet to offer me a deal so I'm going with The Mentalist does not belong to me in any way whatsoever.**

**A/N: Yay! Chapter 8 is here! I'm way excited about this one. I love this song. I didn't use the chorus but it's honestly the best part. It goes a little something like this: "To me you'll be forever sacred, I'm dying but I know our love will live...." It's a pretty song, sad but pretty and romantic. Onwards!!! Forward READ! I had candy, my little girl and I had ice cream today plus german chocolate. Getting her to sleep was interesting. :) :) :) **

_In your eyes,  
I see the hope,  
I once knew,  
-- Sacred by Tokio Hotel_

The wind ruffled the curls on the top of Jane's head as he made his way down the sand covered beach. He wasn't sure what had led him here. All he knew was that after the last case, he needed to go somewhere tranquil. Children shouldn't die first, they should get to lead a full life but thats not always the way things work. His daughter and millions of other kids were proof of that. So he had drove to take his mind off of things and this was where he ended up.

The sand was warm, wet, and squishy beneath his bare feet leaving footprints as the only sign he'd been there. They were soon gone with the coming tide. It was the way of the world. People were like the footprints and death was like the tide. When you died traces of you were removed, some lasting longer than others depending on how deep the impression had been. He silently wondered how long his footprint would last and if he'd ever have anyone to try and keep it on this planet for as long as possible. When he was younger he'd always imagined that his family would keep the memory of him alive, but all of that had already been taken away.

Jane found a secluded spot a little ways down the beach that was peaceful and quiet. All you could hear were the waves crashing against the shore and the wind blowing a nice cool breeze in from the water. The sight in front of him was one that ought to be shared with a loved one, but he was alone. Well kind of, there was a dark haired CBI Agent watching him from her car. The sky was streaked brilliant shades of pinks, oranges and purples as the sun started to set on the horizon. It really was beautiful, but he couldn't take pleasure in enjoying something so simple. There really wasn't a lot of things in this world that could make Patrick Jane truly happy but lately he had realized that he enjoyed going to work. Not the murders, not the reason he was helping in the first place, but a certain person was the reason why. It was a pathetic attempt on his part to try and live a normal life after what had happened to his family, but she made it a little less pathetic. Revenge was his goal, she knew that and threatened to stop him, but when it came down to the Red John cases she pretty much let him do whatever he wanted. That in and of itself proved that she cared about him. She stuck up for him; yes Teresa Lisbon was his new hope. She was the one who saw him for a better man than he really was. She saw the good in him, when he wasn't even sure it existed. She was like the sunset in his life of endless tides. She was sacred. She brought comfort when he needed it, and even when he didn't so why couldn't he actually tell her that?

It was obvious that she cared about him, everyone on the team cared but she had a soft spot. It hadn't been much of a surprise to him when she left work just a few minutes after he had today. Neither had the fact that she had followed him. The case had gotten to him, it pulled at his emotions and he'd frightened Lisbon. It was an accident but he should have known better than to act that way with her. He was ashamed of himself, she knew it too and that's why she had followed him. He gave her props for maintaining a distance but he knew she was watching his every move today, even now he could feel her eyes on his back. She hadn't stalked him down the beach or anything, but she had waited to see how far he'd go and then she drove to the nearest parking spot. If anyone else had done this he'd probably be a little angry, maybe even a lot angry but Lisbon was different. Gazing into the endless ocean in front of him, he quickly took out his cell phone. An idea had just formed in his overactive brain and it was a good one.

_Its rude to follow someone for 2 hours, just to stare at them from the safety of your car. -- Jane_

His thumb found the send before he could talk himself out of it. This could end two ways, she could leave or she'd join him. He was hoping for the latter so he waited. His phone never chirped and after about fifteen minutes he decided she had probably left. He couldn't turn around to look, that would only confirm that he truly was alone. A movement from behind him served as proof that he was wrong, she hadn't driven away embarrassed at being caught.

A slow easy smile settled over his features when Lisbon plopped right down next to him with a tired sigh. There was no wasy Jane could not notice how close she was or that the breeze seemed to taunt him by blowing her hair so close to his face. She had changed out of her work clothes and was now dressed in jeans and tee shirt. He figured thats what had taken her so long but chose not to tease her about it. There was always time for that later.

"I don't really know what to say Jane." She wouldn't look at him, and he knew it's because of what he done earlier. Patrick Jane was usually good at staying collected but something had threw him today and he'd broke down. Lisbon's office furniture had been the victims of his outrage and it hadn't escaped his notice the way she flinched and backed away from him.

"Then don't say anything. Just watch the sunset with me." It was a simple request and thankfully she seemed okay with it. There was a brief moment where she turned her head and met his gaze for a few seconds before facing forward again. They sat together in silence watching the waves crash together as the colors littering the sky started to darken and fade. It was breathtaking to watch the last shreds of light disappear as the big orange sphere went into hiding for the night. Jane didn't know how or when but Lisbon ended up resting her head against his shoulder and somehow his arm had snaked its way around her waist. Sneaky brilliant arm. To the outsider they would appear to be just another couple enjoying the sunset on a secluded part of the beach, only they knew the real story. A psychopathic serial killer who only hunted small children whose parents didn't pay attention to them had brought them here tonight and that was definitely not romantic.

"It's getting dark." His witty side wanted to crack a joke about pointing out the obvious but his serious side won out.

"I'm sorry about earlier, I didn't mean to scare you." He was glad she had broken the silence, he'd been afraid to thinking it might make her pull away and to be honest he didn't mind being so close.

"Everyone loses it every now and then." Lisbon lifted her head to meet his eyes, hoping that he wouldn't move his arm. She liked the touch, the warmth it radiated through her thin cotton shirt.

"Maybe but I need you to know that I would never hurt you okay? Watching you physically flinch was just....I would never hurt you." The thought of him doing anything to cause her pain had never even crossed her mind. It had just been a reaction to the loud noise of him tipping one of her chairs. His outburst had been startling, yes, but she knew she was in no danger of him ever touching her. Patrick Jane wasn't that kind of man.

"I know that Jane." There was a soft sigh that escaped her parted lips, serving as a distraction. He couldn't concentrate whenever she did anything like that. Teresa Lisbon should not be allowed to sigh. A part of him couldn't handle it. She always seemed so oblivious to the things she did to him, to the things she made him feel. Jane let his hand find her soft silky locks to draw her in closer and watched with interest as her eyes widened in shock of what was to come. His lips met her forehead which seemed to disappoint her slightly but she said nothing as he pulled back. Several minutes passed before either of them said a word.

"You're the only hope I have left Teresa." Something flashed in her eyes the second her name left his mouth and before he knew what was happening, she was pressing a sweet kiss to his mouth. It was a shock that she'd taken the initiative to do something like that to him, but after he got over the fact, his lips moved freely against hers. He probably should have pushed her away with some lame excuse but he couldn't. He should have thought more about the consequences of their actions but he didn't. Tomorrow he'd tell her he wasn't ready for a relationship which was partially true and partially a lie. He'd say that it had been amazing to have her in his arms but they couldn't be anything other than colleagues and friends. She would agree, she wouldn't be hurt by it despite the fact that she was falling in love and things would be better than they had before. She would know he needed this and loving him meant letting him have the time he needed alone. After the awkward wore off their friendship would be stronger, their bond literally unbreakable and one day in the near future they would end up back in each others loving embrace, this time they wouldn't let it slip through their fingers like sand.

**A/N: The next one is really good! Not a lot of romance and probably sad but really good. Just wanted to say I have a new story posted called 'Stay Here Tonight' and chapter two of 'Take Away' is up. Hope ya'll like them. Oh and be sure to check out 'You Mean Something' (Its not by me, but I always encourage you to read really good stuff, and it is. Plus I thought it might make up for the long wait with this one, since Nellie was threatening to gather an angry mob at my door. Sorry Nell. Im encouraging ppl to read your story so don't hurt me *wink*.) I highly recommend these. Plus if you review, then well...you reviewed. :) Its late so if I spelled anything wrong or there are any errors point them out and I'll fix them. ~ Rina**


	9. Break Away

**Disclaimer: Don't own any of it.**

**A/N: This one is one of THOSE fics. It's one about if Jane does catch Red John first. I couldn't NOT write one, I mean come on the pull to do a story involving the final showdown is just too magnetic. Although, this is only the after effects. Enjoy!**

**I'd also like to say, I don't have an opinion on what will happen in that fateful episode that brings Jane and Red John together. Jane has shown different conflicting emotions on the issue so I'm not saying whether I think he will or won't kill the man. Although in the finale he was willing to die just so Lisbon could arrest Red John...hmmm.**

_Cold sweat on your brow,  
Now you can hear me shout,  
Your world is about to destruct,  
Cause now I'm gonna pull the plug,  
-- Break Away by Tokio Hotel_

The knife slipped from his hand as the man in front of him lay gurgling on the floor. Blood was bubbling up through his mouth and Patrick Jane had never felt more relieved. The bastard deserved to die for what he had done and this way Jane knew he would suffer. There was no threat from the famous Red John now since he was currently writhing in agony but Jane hadn't got away completely unscathed. He was pretty sure his wrist was broken and there was a stab wound to his leg that was starting to really hurt like hell. He imagined the adrenaline must have taken the edge off before but now it wasn't doing him any favors. Limping his way over to the door he slid down the wall and waited. Lisbon and the team would be here any minute. Lisbon. He hated that he was making her arrest him but it had to be done. Surely she knew that deep down, she had to know that this was how it would end. He'd told her before but she had swore to uphold the law and there was no doubt in his mind that she would do just that. They had become close and he almost felt like he was betraying her trust by doing what he had done. Almost. It was arrogant and selfish of him, he admitted that but this had been his battle. He had won.

The door swung open as agents swarmed in. Rigsby was the first through the door, Cho second and they both hadn't noticed the consultant hunched over against the wall. Their eyes were drawn to the bloody lifeless body of Red John. Lisbon saw him though, the second she walked in with her gun out in front of her. Holstering her weapon she went straight for him, crouching down to look him in the eye.

"Dammit Jane, what did you do?" It was a rhetorical question, he knew that he wasn't suppose to answer but he couldn't stop himself.

"What I had to." Her hand reached up cautiously to touch the huge bruise covering his right cheek. He winced and tried to pull away but she wouldn't let him. The rest of the team as well as several police officers were swarming the scene by now but everyone was invisible to them. Everyone except each other.

"You didn't have to. We could have arrested him. Why did you have to be such a stubborn idiot?" Noticing the blood coming from his leg she pressed her hand against the spot hoping to slow down the loss. He hissed at the contact, gritting his teeth through the pain while her eyes filled with tears.

"Do you really blame me for what I did?" His good hand came up to rest against her cheek as a tear spilled over. "Do you think I'm a cold blooded murderer?"

"I'm pretty sure given the circumstances, all the victims that he claimed and how many people hated this bastard you won't serve a life sentence or anything. You didn't come in here armed so you might be able to plead self defense. I'll try and make sure of that but I can't jeopardize my job." A small smile lifted the corners of his lips, she was avoiding the question. Typical Lisbon behavior.

"Answer the question Teresa." Her eyes closed as the tears flowed freely down her face. Forcing them back open to see the look on his face was one of the hardest things she had to do today. Another one would be arresting him. He was her best friend.

"No, I don't think that." She had once said that no one deserves murder and she still believed it but that didn't make Jane a cold blooded killer. He was too warm and caring to be considered something so evil and slimy. Without giving her brain time to jump in and demand she think this through, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. She couldn't believe she was actually doing it, but she wanted him to know how she felt. He acted shocked at first but it only took a few seconds for him to respond by slowly parting her lips and letting his tongue seek hers. It was a slow kiss that showed each of them the emotions they were feeling but then she pulled away. "I still have to arrest you."

"I know." He tugged her forward letting his lips find hers again, for a sweet kiss as she tried to choke back a sob. "Shh, don't cry."

"You need a hospital, come on let me help you up." Her voice cracked with emotion on every word and he was sorry that he had done this to her, put her in this position but it felt good to know that the man who murdered his family was dead because of him. It probably shouldn't but it did. He didn't protest when she held most of his weight with her body as they walked together out to the ambulance. He didn't protest when she handcuffed him to the gurney and wiped the last of her tears away before anyone else noticed. He didn't protest when he felt her hand brush some of his stray curls off his forehead and he didn't protest when she whispered into his ear that she loved him before they hauled him into the back. His life had felt so claustrophobic before, forced and unhappy but now he was free. He had managed to break away even though it had cost him.

He ignored the paramedics as they poked and prodded him like a pin cushion. His mind was on one thing, well person and that was the woman who had just technically arrested him. He was in love with her and it was then that he noticed she hadn't tightened the cuff around his wrist. If he wanted to he could easily slide his hand out of it but he didn't. This was what was supposed to happen and he wanted her to know that he excepted the consequences of his actions. For once he accepted them, for her. It was the least he could do. This was his way of showing her the respect he had for her.

**a/n: This one makes me a little sad...:( but I loved writing it and I hope you liked reading it. I started the spin off from chapter three: Monsoon and just updated Take Away. It's a good one. :) ~ Rina **

**p.s.: Reviews are what drive me. I'm a little bit of an attention junkie when it comes to stories and poems stuff like that. I just love hearing if ppl liked it or hated it. So keep that in mind.**


	10. Rescue Me

**Disclaimer: Well I had a dream where I was involved in a CBI case but I'm almost positive that does not count as owning it. (I also think this proves I watch way too much of The Mentalist.)**

_I trusted you in every way,  
But not enough to make you stay,  
-- Rescue Me by Tokio Hotel_

Teresa Lisbon had loved her father and even after he became a self pitying drunk she had still loved the man. When he had taken his own life and almost killed them all, she started to loathe him, but still love the good memories. He had acted out of cowardice and completely ignored the fact that he had a family who needed him. She had trusted him to get better, to put down the bottle and pick up his kids except that had never happened. Apparently her belief and trust in him wasn't enough.

Another stray tear hit her desk as she wiped furiously at her face. She didn't know why she'd let what Jane said get to her. It bothered her whenever he brought up anything concerning her family but he had meant it jokingly. She knew that, so why was she sitting in her office reflecting on things better left forgotten? Taking a deep breath she forced the lump in her throat back down as she grabbed her jacket off the back of the chair and made her way to the door. It was time to go, she needed to get home and catch a few hours of sleep while she had the chance. If she waited any longer she might as well stay the night locked in her office. The faster she left the better, Jane wouldn't be able to stop her if she ran out hurriedly. She expected her curly haired consultant to still be on his couch when she opened the door in haste but to her surprise she ran straight into his warm chest.

"Whoa, slow down." Jane's hands came to rest against her upper arms, holding her steady.

"I have to get home." She tried to move around him but he wouldn't let go of her. "Jane..."

"I was coming to apologize for the witty remark I said earlier about your father." His ever changing eyes locked onto hers as he offered her an apologetic smile. Lisbon loved his eyes, some days they were green and some days they seemed more blue. Today they were a pretty mix between the two, a hypnotic intoxicating mix.

"It's fine."

"No, it's not. Sometimes I forget about what happened to you. I get caught up in my own mess and I forget that other people have them too." Lisbon wanted to look away, his eyes were so intense she could feel her cheeks starting to burn but she couldn't tear away from his gaze.

"You were just teasing about how he probably never taught me to change a flat. It's fine." She needed to get away, the lump in her throat was coming back.

"If it was 'fine' you wouldn't have been crying." Sometimes Lisbon really really hated his ability to read people so well. She knew she hadn't cried enough for it to be noticeable by anyone except for him. He was always the exception.

"I wasn't." She didn't know why she kept lying to him all the time when he could always tell she wasn't being honest. She supposed it was her way to at least attempt to have some control over the situation. The way he would look at her when he pointed out what he considered obvious, always ripped away her control before she even realized it.

"Your eyes say otherwise." This time she struggled against his hold until he released her. Smiling in triumph she tried to get by him only to be blocked by his body. He wouldn't move out of the doorway.

"Dammit, apology accepted. Just let me go home. I wasn't crying, I'm just exhausted." She tried shoving him out of the way but he caught her hand in his. The warmth shocked her senses into overdrive. His hand was rough yet soft against her own and she found herself wondering what it would feel like traveling over her bare body.

"Have you eaten?"

"Uh, no, not yet." A Cheshire grin spreads over his face as he gently tugs on her arm, leading her over to the kitchen break room area. She protests for the first few seconds until she sees the table set for two with candles making the dim room glow in a golden light. "What is this?"

"Dinner. Its only reheated grilled chicken and chocolate cupcakes. That's all that was left in the fridge." Lisbon couldn't deny the fluttering in her stomach at the thought of him taking the time to set all of this up. She didn't care that it was reheated food. He gently led her over to the chair and motioned for her to sit. Normally she might have protested but for tonight she decided to let him have his way. Glancing down at the food, a small quiet laugh bubbled up from her lungs. "What?"

"Nothing." She didn't feel like ruining the moment to make fun of the paper plates. They clashed with the candles but this was the CBI building, it's not like they were going to have fine china just sitting around waiting to be used. "Where did you find candles?" Picking up the fork she flashed him a questioning smile as she cut into the chicken.

"Around. If the food tastes bad, blame Cho. This was supposed to be his lunch tomorrow." She was already chewing by the time he spoke and she almost spit it out in shock. He had stolen Cho's lunch. Why wasn't this surprising?

"Jane!" His cocky grin was the only retort he had and she just shook her head in defeat. The man was hopeless. She had to admit though, she didn't really care. Right now she was too busy noticing the way the flames flickered, casting an angelic glow across his face. The meal was finished in a comfortable silence that left them both feeling better. Reaching towards the cupcakes in the middle she grabbed the one with vanilla frosting. "Thank you. This was the perfect way to get my mind off of everything."

"Not everyone you love will leave you."

"What?" Her head snapped up at the seemingly out of nowhere statement. His words were like a slap in the face. She'd managed to forget the past and enjoy his company only to have him bring back up so suddenly.

"That's what you think. You loved your mother and she was taken from you, you loved your father but..."

"Not enough to make him stay." Jane was slightly shaken at the void of emotion in her voice. Lisbon had always been passionate, he'd never heard her sound so drained before.

"Anyone who has ever left you willingly was just...I don't know how they could do it. You're an amazing beautiful woman Teresa." Lisbon knew her cheeks were bright red and growing hotter with the smoldering look he was giving her. He was right, she did think like that which is probably what kept her from visiting her brothers more often. She was afraid they'd leave too. It was irrational to think such things but then again she was human. Humans are irrational. Jane reached out to gently caress her hand and she knew in that moment that he was here to rescue her. Tonight he'd been her savior and maybe one day she'd be lucky enough to return the favor, until then she was happy being his partner in lunch-stealing crime.

"Eat your cupcake before I do."

**a/n: The tenth little story. I've done one about her mother so I thought I'd take a crack at her father too. I kept this one lighter because I felt it was time for a less angsty story. Hope you liked it. I have decided to TRY and keep one A/N a chapter which means I'll probably post them at the bottom so I won't give anything away. ~Rina**

**PS: Fanfiction has been a little screwy which is why I didn't have this one up already...it wouldn't let me. It seems to be fixed for the time being so share the love for this story while I go read a bunch of stuff and review. :)**


	11. Final Day

**Disclaimer: Still not owning any of it. Damn!**

_The whole world can just go to hell,  
For all I care tonight,  
-- Final Day by Tokio Hotel_

Another case, another victim, another lying murderous son of a bitch brought down for what he'd done but the victory was bittersweet. Every single case was. Yeah they caught the bad guy, the perp whatever you wanted to call them, but there was still a victim, a child, a mother. It was someone's somebody and they were still dead. That was the one thing Teresa Lisbon hated about her job. She couldn't fix the world, it was still just as sick and twisted as before. The only thing they had accomplished was putting one person away, and that didn't even put a dent in the evil that infected the planet she called home. Would she willingly give up her job to take a less emotional one? Never. She loved the job but sometimes on those lonely nights when she crawled into bed after a tough case she questioned if they ever really made a difference.

On this night, she wasn't crawling into an empty bed. She wasn't lonely and instead of wondering if the work they did acheived any real goal, she was thinking of the family who got peace from knowing the man who murdered their little girl was locked up. It was nights like this that she remembered why she wanted to do this job in the first place. As she slid underneath the warm covers after her two hour soak in the tub, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist. Burrying her face in the chest that came along with those arms, she sighed. How did they ever get here?

"Enjoy your bath?" Lisbon pressed a kiss to the bare skin beneath her lips before tilting her head to see his handsome face staring down at her. Those amazing ever changing eyes burning a hole deep in her soul.

"I would have enjoyed it a lot more if you would've joined me." A ghost of a smile graced his face, as she smirked and snuggled closer.

"I knew you needed the alone time." That's what she loved about the man, he knew when she needed to be alone and when she needed a shoulder to lean on. It was times like these when she knew that if today had been the final day she would've been okay.

"So you broke into my home, undressed and made yourself comfy in my bed?" Her hands casually traveled down his back, leaving goose bumps in their wake as she leaned in to nibble on his neck.

"Uh, actually I used a key, checked to make sure you were alright, then undressed and made myself comfy." Lisbon was trying to distract him and although she could feel it working he still seemed persistant on having a conversation instead. She wanted him and being patient was never her strong point.

"Mm, stop talking Patrick."

"Bossy." Despite what his brain might have been telling him, she could sense that his body was overruling the verdict. His hands started at her sides gently sliding up underneath the shirt she wore to caress the tender flesh.

"That's why I'm the boss."

"That was horribly corny, my dear." A small husky laugh bubbled up from inside of her as he lightly tickled her sides to make her squirm. She found herself relaxing into him, practically melting as her hands found their way to his curls. It was easy with him, so carefree. She didn't think, she only felt and that was something that only he made happen. Patrick Jane was an amazing man, no doubt but he was also an extremely skilled lover. She'd found that out after an out of town case, a long walk at midnight and him insisting on her watching a movie with him. There was no movie. That had been months ago, four to be exact and now it was no big deal to find him camped out in her bed for days at a time. In the beginning she questioned his motives, wondering if she was just a way to pass the time or if he was trying to replace the feeling he'd lost. Once they got past the initial awkward conversation, things were great. Her restless mind had been put at ease when he told her he wasn't trying to replace his wife and he wasn't using her.

"Patrick?" His name still sounded foreign when it came off her tongue but she supposed that had to do with them still refering to each other by last names at work.

"Hmm?" Their eyes locked as he toyed with the hem of her shirt. The gaze was smoldering, intense and could probably incinerate anything that got between them.

"Make the world go away." They'd had converstaions like this before. Lisbon hated using terms like 'make love to me' although she did on occasion, but this one had become her favorite to use when she wanted to get completely lost in everything Jane. She never phrased it the same way twice but the message was still the same; 'I need you'. The world could go to hell, she only cared about him in this moment and that was enough for both of them.

He leaned in slowly, capturing her lips in a gentle loving kiss. He was always so cautious and caring when he knew she'd had a rough time. It had become a ritual for them. They'd unwind a little and work it out alone, but when they were together they'd figure things out and completely relax. Melting into his touch, she sighed and parted her lips. This was what she looked forward to after a long day. She loved spending so much time with him but at work they were professionals and here in her bedroom, well what they were doing was not professional.

"Move in." Lisbon froze as soon as the words left her mouth. She hadn't said them on purpose, they just sort of flew out. His bright smiling eyes met her shocked ones as he let out a chuckle. It was then that she realized she hadn't asked, it was more of a command and she didn't even know where the thought had come from to begin with. She hadn't even been thinking of anything other than how nice it was to come home with him by her side or already waiting on her.

"I basically already have Teresa." It was true, most of his clothes had made their way into her closet and some of his things littered every room in the house.

"Officially." His smile grew with each passing moment and she found it pointless to try to hold back her own.

"Only if you let me finish my famous magic trick." Her brow scrunched in confusion as he rolled them over and pinned her underneath him. "Making the world disappear."

"That was ridiculous." Despite the playful banter he kept things slow and sweet, peeling her shirt off carefully and peppering soft kisses to every inch of newly exposed skin. Lisbon was lucky to have a man like him, she was lucky to have someone to fight off the chill of lonliness and longing. She knew without a doubt that she could never replace his family but she wasn't trying to. That's why this worked for them. It was understanding, give and take. It was them awaiting that final day.

**a/n: Number 11...I'm really pleased with this one. Goodness only 3 chapters left. But good news is I have an awesome new idea but it'll be kind of AU and I don't know if anyone will want to read it. Basically, I noticed a lot of people doing Lisbon having a baby stories and I want to put a twist on it. I want it as Lisbon ALREADY has a baby/toddler and the team have been the ones to help. There will be a whole backstory on how she ended up pregnant and stuff but basically Lisbon and Baby plus Jane (its not his baby) and a new character based off of Nellie. (NellietheItalianOne) She's collaborating with me on this one. It's really good, promise. Cases will be involved as well as fluff. Anyone interested? ~Rina**

**PS: For anyone who had been reading my CSI:NY story, I logged in and it was gone. I have no idea what happened to it but its not on here anymore. :(**


	12. Forgotten Children

**Disclaimer: Let's see if I owned it Lisbon and Van Pelt would walk around in bikinis JUST to torture the men. Obviously that means no.**

_Just a normal day,  
Streets turn into graves,  
Traces have been removed,  
The search was disapproved,  
So cold the night,  
The weak ones lose the fight,  
How many of them out there,  
No one seems to care...  
-- Forgotten Children by Tokio Hotel_

Light after light passed by the car window, illuminating the otherwise dark road. Lisbon kept watch from the passenger side as Jane drove them back to the CBI building after an out of town case. They'd fought over the keys but eventually she gave up hoping that if she gave them to him, he'd be quiet. It was wishful thinking and it apparently worked. It was late and she could barely keep her eyes open, the gentle hum of the engine did nothing to help her stay awake.

Jane was getting tired as well but he knew there was no way Lisbon would be able to stay awake long enough to even make it a mile. Of course at this point it wasn't clear if he could make it much further than that. He was dead set on trying though, the woman in the passenger seat needed the rest and he wasn't about to keep her awake. Not this time, not after the case had taken such a toll on her. She tried hiding it, but he knew it had struck a nerve.

A two year old little girl had watched her mother be raped and murdered in a dark alley. The kicker; she had lived on the streets her whole life, she didn't have a name and could only speak basic words. Lisbon had been horribly upset by everything. Mainly the fact that such a pretty little girl didn't have a name, nobody knew her and her mother had been a junkie who only cared about getting the next fix. On that same train of thought, despite her faults the woman didn't deserve to die. Lisbon had lied to Social Services and told them that the toddler was being used to aid the case, just so they could spend a few extra hours with her at the makeshift office they'd set up at the local PD. Jane had nicknamed her Violet which stuck pretty well and Lisbon had waited on her hand and foot, carrying her around like it was something she did everyday. Jane had known she was maternal but seeing her with a child only proved it.

When they did have to turn her over to child services, he had been the one to do it. Lisbon had made an excuse of being needed elsewhere, and he knew it was only because she couldn't handle giving up the little girl with the sweet smile and beautiful laugh. It was hard on him too, but he knew how to mask his emotions. He had years of practice and not to brag or anything but he also knew he was amazing at it. Lisbon, well she tried and sometimes she did a good job but he could see through her.

His eyelids were starting to feel heavy but he forced them back open at the sound of her soft sleepy voice.

"Pull over." At first he thought there might have been something wrong, but once he was over to the side of the road he realized why she'd told him that. "Take a nap."

"Lisbon, the rest of the team is way ahead of us."

"They slept in shifts, they're fine. We stopped for food and everything else, just sleep Jane." It did sound like a pretty good idea and she was right they were fine, plus they'd call if they started to worry. Yeah a nap sounded dandy, just a small one. His eyes searched hers for any kind of signal that she might not be as okay as she wanted him to believe, but he came up empty.

"Talk me to sleep, I can't just make myself sleep while in a car. Please?" She wanted to ignore him but she couldn't. He was giving her those sad sentimental eyes that she couldn't say no to.

"Fine, the case sucked." Jane couldn't help but chuckle as he heard the anger dripping from each word. She was so passionate about things, he loved that about her.

"Yes it did. You alright?" The concern was written all over his face, it was touching to know that he actually worried about her.

"Mhm, just worn out and really pissed at the world for what happened to that girl. She's still just a baby Jane." Without even having to think it through his hand searched its way over the console to find her smaller one. She seemed a little shocked at first, but didn't pull away. Taking that as a good sign he gave it a reassuring squeeze and tried to give her a warm understanding smile.

"You care too much..."

"Excuse me?" He hadn't meant to upset her by that statement, honestly he was trying to make her feel better.

"Let me finish. You care too much and that's a good thing, a great thing. I wish I could still care like that." Silence lingered in the air between them after his whispered confession. Neither knew what to say now and as they both closed their eyes to get a little rest before hitting the road, they realized it didn't matter what they said. The words they had just spoken left them both feeling a little better and somehow worse at the same time. Words were no longer needed tonight, everything could be expressed through touch, even a forgotten touch. Lisbon realized that in some weird way he'd be there for her when things were a little tough. Drifting into a somewhat peaceful sleep, they didn't notice that their hands were still entwined.

**a/n: So how was it? I really like this one. Speaking of that, posted my new story. It's called 'To Begin Again'. It's going to be full of Jisbony/Jello goodness. Plus the new character is great, *winks at Nellie* ~ Rina**


	13. By Your Side

**Disclaimer: Not even in my dreams do I own the Mentalist or any of the characters.**

_No one knows,  
How you feel,  
No one there,  
You'd like to see,  
The day was dark,  
And full of pain...  
-- By Your Side by Tokio Hotel_

They didn't know what it was like to wake up in the morning to a beautiful smiling little girl staring at you. They didn't know how it felt to come home later that night to find her butchered on the floor alongside her mother, but it wasn't their fault. They didn't know because they didn't make a huge mistake. Again it wasn't their fault, he always had to keep reminding himself that the pity in their eyes was heartfelt but still held no real meaning. He wasn't saying they didn't know loss, everyone on the team had faced some kind of loss but he could see it in their eyes. They felt sorry for him, Rigsby, Cho and Van Pelt. Lisbon was different. She felt sorry for him too, but she also had no problem telling him off when he got too caught up in his own self righteous pity parties. She was a nice breath of fresh air to the stuffy life he'd been living.

He wanted her by his side through the tough times, he needed her to be there. When his family had been murdered he had pretty much decided his life was over, but Lisbon had proved to him that it wasn't. She made him realize that even though he'd never get over their deaths, he could still take steps forward. He didn't have to live the rest of his life hating the fact that he was alive and they weren't. All those 'naps' he took on his couch had led to these snippets of truth. Just like the one he was taking now that had him thinking of asking her on a date Friday.

"Jane, let's go!" Lisbon kicked the edge of the couch as she walked by, jarring him from his thoughts. Smiling the entire way, he followed her to the elevator and found himself standing just a tad too close. He really didn't mind and she wasn't complaining, in fact he was pretty sure he heard her sigh.

"Where are we going again?" There was a slight shift in their position as the elevator crept to life, making his arm brush against hers. He wasn't sure why he was standing in her personal space but he found himself liking it. Maybe a little more than he should have given their location.

"You promised me lunch if you were wrong about the case. I'm all about free food." Anyone else would have probably offered to pay at least their part of the meal, but a bet was a bet and he'd hold up his end of the deal as long as she was okay with it.

"I wasn't wrong, you were just right." She was smiling as he came up with a lame explanation, and he found himself being drawn closer to her. Lisbon was absolutely gorgeous when she smiled that amused grin that seemed to be reserved for only him.

"Same thing Jane. What are you doing?" Before he could stop himself he turned to face her, bringing his chest to rest against her shoulder. Thoughts of her were going to be his undoing and he wanted to know first hand. He wanted to know what it'd be like to have someone, to have someone to be there on those dark lonely days.

"I, I don't know but I want you Teresa." Lisbon had never heard him sound so unsure of himself, it almost scared her. Probably would have if his closeness wasn't fogging every thought that entered her over active brain. "I need you to know that." Jane watched in amusement as her brow furrowed in confusion. It was just another one of her facial expressions that he'd come to look forward to seeing. He had shifted the mood to mirror how he was truly feeling and the sudden change had her flabbergasted.

"What are you talking abo..." All sounds coming from her were muffled as soon as his lips met hers. The movement was unexpected but she'd be lying if she said she didn't want it. She knew she shouldn't have kissed him back but her mouth seemed to have a mind of its own. They were in an elevator for goodness sakes but she couldn't force herself to push him away. His hands wound around her waist to tug her closer as she clutched the lapels of his jacket in her fists. Something about him had seemed different lately but she hadn't been able to put a finger on it until now. The opening of the doors broke them apart but neither made a move step out of the embrace, they opted for staring at each other instead. Something had definitely just changed between them.

The woman in his arms was so different than his wife but that only added to the attraction he felt for her. She wasn't just some replacement his mind had come up with, no this was Teresa Lisbon. She was the firecracker of an agent he spent most of his time with and she was probably the only person he respected enough to consider listening to. The doors closed with a ding but he didn't seem to care and she wasn't trying to pull away.

"That...Jane, what was that?" Letting one arm reach out towards the control panel, Jane hit the emergency stop. He had to tell her now, he had been planning to wait until Friday. That would have given him the time he needed to muster up some courage but the kiss had thrown him off. It hadn't been planned, she had just looked so stunning.

"That was me realizing that I want someone to be by my side. I want you to be there for those days full of pain and sorrow Lisbon." His hand came up to brush her hair back behind her ear and she ducked her head for a few seconds. Jane was starting to worry that he'd said something wrong or that she wasn't interested until her pretty eyes rose back up to meet his own.

"Is this your way of asking me out?"

"I guess it is." Jane hadn't even been thinking of the implications all of this had but yes it was his way of asking. It was his way of admitting that he cared about her a lot more than he thought possible.

"On those days when you're stuck trying to forget or trying to remember, I'll be there. I want to be there to prove you wrong, to prove that you haven't lost everyone who cares about you." The raw honesty in her voice had his heart clenching. Their moments always seemed to do this. It'd be banter one second then serious the next and he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Is that your way of accepting?" A small bashful smile broke out on her face as he started to lean back in for another kiss. She knew it was coming but it was still something new and it would take a while to get used to the thought of Patrick Jane kissing her.

"I guess it is." As the distance between them closed, Jane found himself thinking about how it would feel to have her by his side even on the days he didn't want her there. Lisbon was stubborn, she wouldn't leave him alone just because he told her to. That thought in and of itself was enough to ease some of the ache he'd been feeling for years.

**a/n: This chapter just couldn't decide whether it wanted to be more serious or more fluffy cute. It kind of teeters on both I suppose. Only one chapter left. I can not believe this is almost over. Its short but I was busy trying to work on 'To Begin Again' as well so this one kind of got stuck on the back burner. Oopsies :) ~ Rina**


	14. 1000 Oceans

**Disclaimer: We have reached the end and I still don't own it.**

_I know somewhere,  
We'll find a little place for you and me,  
It all turned out,  
A different way,  
Can't feel the pulse,  
In our veins,  
So weak today,  
We'll let our heartbeat,  
Guide us through the dark,  
Just trust me...  
-- 1000 Oceans by Tokio Hotel_

There really wasn't anything easy in life, big decisions were always the hardest to make. The life changing ones that left a part of you behind while uncovering a part you hadn't known would ever exist. Teresa Lisbon was going to make one of those decisions on this very day. She didn't know which side she would choose, one would leave her heartbroken and the other would leave things the same as they were now. She knew which one she wanted but it wasn't a one sided option, it involved other people. This was it, the day of decisions, life changing alterations and she had to talk to Jane about all of it.

She took a deep a breath, decided it was now or never and headed towards the bullpen. She didn't know why she was doing this at work; honestly it just seemed like the best place to get it done. It would keep her clear headed and emotionally in check -- hopefully. It had only been a little over a month since that fateful case that left them both a little confused. Lisbon had killed a woman to stop her from slitting Jane's throat, routine and by the book but what happened after wasn't. She'd hugged him, not a friendly I-just-saved-your-life hug but a desperate gripping I-can't-lose-you one. They'd stood in the middle of her office holding onto each other for dear life and then just walked away like nothing happened. Neither of them brought it up and everything had been burning just under the surface since then. Stolen touches and standing a tad too close had been the only indication that anything had happened at all. It had led to this point of breaking and it would regretfully leave them both with an aching heart.

"Jane, can I talk to you?" He was sitting on the couch, bugging Van Pelt about something but Lisbon knew if she didn't do this now she probably never would.

"Isn't that what you're doing?" Her eyes flickered over to the younger agent still frowning about something Jane had said or made her think about. He was good at torturing people just by making them take the time to think about things.

"In my office." Lisbon knew he could sense the uneasiness in her tone, the rest of the team always seemed oblivious or at least acted like it but Jane always got that concerned glimmer in his eyes.

"Sure." The few steps to her office were filled with tension and stares from Jane. This wouldn't be as easy as she had hoped.

"Close the door and lock it please." She hadn't turned around to face him but she knew he was doing exactly what she told him. She took a few deep breaths before finally turning to meet his worried gaze.

"You want to tell me why we're locked in your office? Really Lisbon if you want to jump me...hey what's wrong?" What had started as a teasing statement ended with a question as soon as he saw her gaze drift to the ceiling. She continued to count the ridges above her head, willing herself to just start the conversation to just spit it out already. Seconds of silence quickly turned to minutes but he didn't push her.

"I uh, I know you probably knew this long before I did but I'm..." She took another calming deep breath and let it out slowly while she dropped her gaze back the man standing in front of her. Only about a foot in front of her, it startled her a bit that he was so close. "attracted to you, and I think that maybe you..."

"Lisbon."

"might be a little attra..."

"Lisbon."

"...cted to me but we can't be anything." Staring into his green-blue eyes -- that just so happened to be more blue that day -- proved to be a problem and her gaze once again drifted away. The floor became her new focal point as she rambled on completely missing the fact that he was trying to get her to be quiet. The emotions she'd been pushing down were starting to bubble over making her heart beat wildly in her chest. "We both know it can't happen and..."

"Teresa hush!" The sound of her first name cut through the air punctuated by the slightly loud voice saying it. Lisbon shut her mouth and cautiously brought her eyes back up to meet his. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting to see, but what was in front of her wasn't it. "What brought this up?"

"Things have been tense lately since we, I don't really know what to call it. It wasn't just a hug and we both know it."

"Tense because in that embrace we both caught up to reality." Jane took a step towards her, leaving only inches between them. No matter how hard she tried to control herself Lisbon couldn't do it. She'd opened this can of worms at work in hopes of keeping it together but as a tear slipped out at his words, she knew she'd failed. "You're right; we can't be anything. There's too much in the way." He caught the tear spilling down her cheek with his thumb and gently wiped it away, begging himself to keep the moisture building in his own eyes at bay.

"Teresa please, I don't want you to be sad. Maybe after we catch..." He let the sentence hang knowing she caught on to what he was implying. "I don't know if things will be different then and I want you to be happy."

"You should get to be happy too. We'll catch him soon."

"Such a stubborn woman." Lisbon let out sigh when his hand started to softly caress the side of her neck affectionately. "You shouldn't wait on me."

"I want to." Jane didn't want her wasting her life on him, but he'd never been so happy to hear such simple words. He let his lips seek hers for a soft kiss, just a brush against hers and then another this time adding a little more pressure. The kisses continued like this, just a short touch that lasted longer with each one but then he stopped. Seconds passed and nothing happened; Lisbon's heart plummeted at the thought of it being over. She didn't want it to be, she wanted him to wrap her in his arms and hold her tight.

Whispering a quick 'I'm sorry' against his mouth, she sealed her lips to his pouring out the tension, hurt and longing she was feeling. Hands gripped tightly to clothing and flesh, never wanting to let the moment end but both knew it had to. She kissed him with everything she had, hoping he'd get the point and he kissed back with the same intensity to let her know he understood. She wasn't going anywhere and he couldn't force her to give up on what they could be. They knew this would be the first and last kiss they'd share until his goal was completed, so they made it memorable.

He let his arms circle around her waist to pull her closer before tangling one of his hands through her hair. He was pretty sure they were both crying at this point but it didn't matter. This moment, this thing they had between them would end in less than five minutes but it'd be back. Till then he found himself looking forward to the future because now he actually had one and it involved living long enough to be with the woman in his arms.

Lisbon didn't want the feeling of having him pressed against her to end but his kiss was turning slow and tender. She knew what was coming next. It was no surprise when he started to reluctantly pull away causing the pang in her heart to return. She kept her eyes closed as he rested his forehead against hers, letting their noses touch. She relished each second for all too soon it would be gone.

"Soon. We'll get him for my family, for our future." His voice was raw with honesty, his warm breath fanning against her face and she knew that no matter how long it took that she would wait.

"Soon." That's what you do for the people you love; you wait.

**a/n: There it is people...the end. I really hope you enjoyed this series because I LOVED writing it. I'm a big music person. :) I'm going to have more stories like this in the future...probably after I finish 'Take Away'. I am so freakin' excited for the new season...anyone else seen the promos? So funny. And Robin Tunney's haircut...GORGEOUS! That's how I picture her in this one; hair straight, bangs to the side. Look for yourself if you haven't already seen it. **

**http:// sbland .iimmgg .com /image /964cf657a499c4829e3b024e79e8ef28 (Just take out the space after the http:// and before the periods and slashes. Big thanks to Simon Baker Land - the unofficial website for posting these.) **

**I tested the link and it worked for me so hopefully....~ Rina**


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